Sports Glove

ABSTRACT

Here is disclosed a sports glove having a glove housing with four finger portions, a thumb portion, and a palm portion. The finger portions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing each have an anterior surface with a series of flexible shock absorbing blocks formed thereon. The shock absorbing blocks are separated by gaps of less than 5 mm in width. The flexible shock absorbing blocks on the finger portions are divided by parallel upper and lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the finger portions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5 mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the finger portions. An elongated palm groove is provided which extends across the anterior surface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lower grooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to gloves which are worn in games likeice hockey or lacrosse.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The game of ice hockey and lacrosse are very rough and physicallydemanding games. Injuries are often a result of game play. To mitigatedagainst injuries, players generally don protective clothing such ashelmets, shoulder pads and gloves. Hockey gloves in particular are madeto protect the wearer's hand by providing shock absorbing padding alonga posterior surface (i.e. covering the back of the hand) covered byrigid shock absorbing blocks. These shock absorbing blocks protect thehand from impacts. To ensure that the hockey gloves are comfortable andthat the player can comfortably manipulate a hockey stick while wearingthe gloves, the anterior surface of the glove (i.e. the surface coveringthe inside or palm surface of the hand) is made of a relatively thin andflexible layer of cloth or leather. While this thin flexible layer ofcloth/leather ensures the wearer can maintain dexterous use of his/herfingers and hand, it does leave the palm of the hand susceptible toinjury. Placing rigid shock absorbing blocks on the anterior surface ofthe glove would render the glove unusable; therefore, previous hockeyglove designs provided little or no protection to the anterior surfacesof the gloves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a sports glove which is configured to protect the anterior(palm side) of the hand with protection from injury while maintainingdexterity and flexibility. The glove made in accordance with the presentinvention includes a glove housing having four finger portions, a thumbportion, and a palm portion. The glove housing is made sufficientlyflexible to permit the finger portions, thumb portion and palm portionto articulate in response to the user's hand when the glove is worn. Thefinger portions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housingeach have an anterior surface. The anterior surfaces of the thumbportion, palm portions and finger portions have a series of flexibleshock absorbing blocks formed thereon, the shock absorbing blocks beingseparated from one another by gaps of less than 5 mm in width. Theplurality of flexible shock absorbing blocks formed on the anteriorsurface of the finger portions are divided by parallel upper and lowergrooves formed along the anterior surface of the finger portions, theupper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5 mm, the upperand lower grooves extending across each of the finger portions. Anelongated palm groove is provided which extends across the anteriorsurface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lowergrooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparentto those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as thisspecification proceeds, the invention is herein described by referenceto the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes adescription of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of thepresent invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an anterior side of a hockey glove madein accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a sports glove made in accordance with the presentinvention is shown generally as item 10 and includes a glove housing 12having an anterior side 14 and a posterior side 16. Glove housing 12 isconstructed in substantially the same was as a traditional hockey gloveis constructed. Posterior side 16 will be provided with tough, resilientand generally inflexible padded blocks 43. Anterior side 14 is formedfrom a tough yet pliable webbing 42, preferably made of natural orartificial leather. Similar “leather like” webbings such as suede,nylon, vinyl, and other natural or synthetic alternatives may be used toform webbing 42. As in a traditional hockey glove, webbing 42 is madehighly pliable so that it may be folded and creased by the user wearingthe glove without webbing offering significant resistance. Webbing 42 isrelatively thin, generally in the order of 1 to 2 mm or so, andtherefore does not provide much shock absorption do to its lack ofthickness and highly flexible nature.

Glove housing 12 has finger portions 18, 20, 22, and 24, thumb portion26, wrist portion 28 and palm portion 30, all of which have anteriorsurfaces opposite posterior side 16. Anterior side 14 has a plurality offlexible shock absorbing blocks 32 which are arranged together in a“brickwork” pattern where each shock absorbing block is separated fromits adjacent shock absorbing blocks by a small gap 34 which is less than5 mm in width and preferably about 1 to 2 mm in width. An Upper groove36 is formed along the anterior sides of finger portions 18, 20, 22 and24 and is formed from groove segments 36 a, 36 b, 36 c and 36 d on therespective finger portions. Groove segments 36 a, 36 b, 36 c, 36 d and36 d are much wider than gaps 34. The width of groove segments 36 a to36 d is at least greater than 5 mm and preferably about 10 mm in width.Below upper groove 36, and parallel thereto, is formed lower groove 38which extends at the junction of finger portions 18, 20, 22 and 24 andpalm portion 30. Groove 38 is substantially parallel to upper groove 36and is formed across all four of the finger portions. As with groove 36,lower groove 38 has a width of at least greater than 5 mm and preferablyabout 10 mm.

Below groove 38 is elongated palm grooves 40 and 41 formed on theanterior surface of palm portion 30. Elongated palm grooves 40 and 41extend across the surface of palm portion 30 roughly parallel to grooves36 and 38. Like the other grooves, grooves 40 and 41 have a width ofgreater than 5 mm and preferably about 10 mm. The four grooves, 36, 38,40 and 41 essentially divide the anterior surface of the glove intomultiple sections which can be moved relative to each other by flexingalong one or more of the four grooves. Thumb portion 26 likewise has aplurality of flexible shock absorbing blocks 32.

Flexible shock absorbing blocks 32 preferably consist of a thickresilient shock absorbing material. While a foam rubber material can beused for shock absorbing blocks 32, the material must be fairly firm andfairly thick—in the order of 0.5 to 1 cm in thickness. Many resilientyet fine materials can be used to form blocks 32, including naturallatex, polyurethane, and EVA based polymers. Regardless of the chemicalcomposition of the material forming blocks 32, said material must bemade fairly dense so as to provide significant shock absorbingproperties.

Blocks 32 are adhered onto the surface of webbing 42 by means knowngenerally in the art, such as bonding or sewing. It is preferable toform blocks 32 on a separate flexible sheet 44 made of firm foam rubber,which is molded or otherwise formed with the blocks and grooves inplace. Sheet 44 may be adhered or fixed to webbing 42 again by meansknown generally in the art such as bonding or sewing.

Glove 10 functions by allowing the user to flex the finger and palmportion of the glove housing along the upper, lower and palm grooves.These grooves act to permit the shock absorbing blocks 32 adjacent thegrooves to move towards each other and thereby allow the finger and palmportions of the glove housing to move in conformity with the user'shand. The grooves are not particularly flexible in themselves—they arenot acting as hinges; rather, it is the fact that the grooves consist ofempty space which permit intrusion into the grooves by the surroundingshock absorbing blocks which in turn permits the anterior surface of theglove to articulate freely.

The pattern of shock absorbing blocks 32 is illustrated as rectangularand arranged in a brick like pattern; however, it will be appreciatedthat the shock absorbing blocks can be formed in other shapes. What isrequired is the presence of the parallel elongated grooves extendingacross the anterior surfaces of the finger and palm portions of theglove housing.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed;however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could beenvisioned as within the scope of this invention. It is to be understoodthat the present invention is not limited to the embodiments describedabove, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of thefollowing claims

Therefore, what is claimed is:
 1. A sports glove for wearing on a user'shand to cover the hand's fingers, palm and wrist, the glove comprising:a. A glove housing having four finger portions, a thumb portion, and apalm portion, the glove housing being sufficiently flexible to permitthe finger portions, thumb portion and palm portion to articulate inresponse to the user's hand when the glove is worn; b. The fingerportions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing eachhaving an anterior surface formed from a flexible webbing; c. Theanterior surface of the thumb portion, palm portions and finger portionshaving a series of shock absorbing blocks formed thereon, the shockabsorbing blocks being separated from one another by gaps of less than 5mm in width; d. The plurality of shock absorbing blocks formed on theanterior surface of the finger portions being divided by parallel upperand lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the fingerportions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the fingerportions; e. An elongated palm groove extending across the anteriorsurface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lowergrooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.
 2. Asports glove as defined in claim 1 wherein the lower groove is formed atan intersection between each of the finger portions of the glove housingand the palm portion of the glove housing.
 3. A sports glove as definedin claim 2 wherein the shock absorbing blocks formed on the anteriorsurface of the palm portion are arranged in a brick work pattern.
 4. Asports glove for wearing on a user's hand to cover the hand's fingers,palm and wrist, the glove comprising: a. A glove housing having fourfinger portions, a thumb portion, and a palm portion; b. The fingerportions, thumb portion and palm portions of the glove housing eachhaving an anterior surface formed from a flexible webbing; c. Theflexible webbing being sufficiently pliable to permit the fingerportions, thumb portion and palm portion to articulate in response tothe user's hand when the glove is worn; d. A series of shock absorbingblocks adhered to the flexible webbing forming the anterior surface offour finger portions, palm portion and thumb portion, the shockabsorbing blocks being separated from one another by gaps of less than 5mm in width; e. The plurality of shock absorbing blocks formed on theanterior surface of the finger portions being divided by parallel upperand lower grooves formed along the anterior surface of the fingerportions, the upper and lower grooves having a width of greater than 5mm, the upper and lower grooves extending across each of the fingerportions; f. An elongated palm groove extending across the anteriorsurface of the palm portion roughly parallel to the upper and lowergrooves, the palm groove having a width of greater than 5 mm.
 5. Thesports glove of claim 4 wherein the plurality of shock absorbing blocksand the upper, lower and palm grooves are formed on a separate sheet,said separate sheet being firmly adhered to the flexible webbing.